UNRWA’s warning comes at a time of escalating Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, amid a blockade that has been in place for more than 16 years, limiting access to basic materials and vital services for the population.
UNRWA added that “the ongoing large-scale Israeli military operation is putting more than two million people at existential risk,” stressing that political will and immediate intervention by the international community are urgently needed to save lives and prevent a wider humanitarian catastrophe.
An intensifying disaster
The UN estimates that more than 70% of Gaza’s population depends on humanitarian aid to survive. Israel has closed the crossings for humanitarian aid and deliberately destroyed drinking water and electricity infrastructure during the current war.
The continuous bombing has also destroyed hundreds of homes, residential buildings, schools, and health facilities, forcing thousands of families to flee internally and seek refuge in schools and shelters that often lack the most basic security and safety features.
More than two million people are living in dire humanitarian conditions as the relentless bombing and forced displacement from several areas continue, with no shelter available amid deteriorating accommodation facilities and no mobile homes or tents to house the displaced.
